A COUNCILLOR says he has had enough of political posturing and is ready to put his money where his mouth is.

Essex Highways chief Rodney Bass said Colchester General Hospital should pay to install a park and ride bus stop there if they wanted staff and patients to use it.

Martin Goss was so enraged he has offered to pay for the work himself.

The service is run by Essex County Council, but there is no stop serving the Turner Road hospital, which employs more than 3,400 people.

Mr Goss, who represents Mile End on Colchester Council, also rubbished Mr Bass’s idea to run a separate shuttle bus for NHS employees, to which the hospital would also be expected to contribute.

Mr Goss said: “I’ve had enough of this. The fact is we need a stop either side of the road at the hospital for the park and ride, which is already taking a huge subsidy from taxpayers.

“I will write a cheque to the county council myself.

“All it needs to do is paint markings in the road saying ‘bus stop’ and put two bus signs across the road from one another.

“What would the hospital be expected to pay for? We’re talking hundreds of pounds, peanuts in the grand scheme of the council’s budget.”

The proposed hospital bus stop would be behind the hospital site in the Northern Approach Road, which the scheme’s buses currently use as part of their route.

Mr Goss added: “Putting in an extra bus seems like an unnecessary cost. We’re talking about putting more subsidy into more buses and more drivers.

“Mr Bass needs to listen to what local people are saying.

We are all saying: ‘Let’s give the park and ride the best chance of working first.’ “And to do that, there needs to be a stop at the hospital.”

Mr Goss also pointed out hundreds more patients will be coming to the Turner Road hospital when Essex County Hospital closes and its services are moved.

He added: “The situation is not going to get better. The hospital has put in more parking spaces, but hundreds more patients will be going there. The hospital has ruled out a multi-storey car park.’’ Figures from the county council show an average of five people are using each bus.

The service ran free for the first eight weeks and now costs £2 to use, but will increase to £3.